The new master blaster !

Just looking 5-10 years back and no one would have believed that India could win a game if Sachin Tendulkar's willow did not wield the magic. And then came along his clone-Virender Sehwag.

The hard hitting batsman from Delhi, Viru aka Nawab of Najafgarh, was first seen in action in an ODI against Australia. An absolute lookalike of the maestro himself in stance and in style, he was believed to be the next big thing for cricket in India from that very day.

And little has he disappointed since then. He sure has had ups and downs in his career, having been left out of the side once or twice too but as normally happens in this country where the game in itself is a religion, people do not really tend to keep the past in mind.

As of now though, he admittedly is the most feared batsman in the world. Having taken up the mantle from Sachin of attacking upfront, he does so in a style of his own, trying to smash everything coming his way. More than once has he been criticised for his irresistible curb to take each and every ball for runs. But Viru, who has a mind of his own believes that that is what a batsman is supposed to do!

Be it in Australia, Pakistan or any place you can possibly think of where the game is played, this powerful right hander has given the bowlers a hard time. And the consistency with which he has started doing so these days is remarkable. No wonder, he is being labelled by some as the best batsman around. Surely, the most difficult to bowl to when on song. The Kiwis am sure will agree.

Former NZ star Martin Crowe even believes he is better than the great Adam Gilchrist himself but thinks he can never surpass Tendulkar in greatness for Sachin still has the unmatched class and elegance. To add to it is the longevity of his career.

Not only does Sehwag score at an unbelievable pace, he also scores big. Just as a matter of fact, he happens to be the only Indian to have notched up not one, but two triple hundreds. The fact that his last 11 Test tons have been over 150 acts as a testimony to what i am trying to enunciate. More striking is the fact that each one was scored at a strike rate of over 70 runs per 100 balls. His 319 against South Africa in Chennai was infact scored of 304 balls.

The man is now oozing with unbridled confidence and is at the peak of his career. He sure is giving the Kiwis in their home grounds nightmares, not only playing against them but literally toying with them too. The small grounds are not helping the bowlers either. The other day he made a delightful and powerful century, which is the fastest by an Indian and only the 7th fastest in the history of the game and he looks hungry for more too-not very ominous signs for the Black Caps am afraid.

Although the New Zealand fans will be hoping that their side can get rid of him soon in the final ODI and in the test series to follow, people all around the world would be hoping that the swashbuckling Nawab continues to entertain us. Be it without any footwork or without any elegance, but he sure is fun to watch-only if you are not a bowler at the receiving end of course.

Ask Daniel Vettori and he does not feel shy in admitting that his bowlers are scared of him. No one would blame him for having said that!